HYDERABAD: Hyderabad has become my first home. I own a house in Jayabheri in Gachibowli”, says singer Baba Sehgal who has had a tremendous 2015 with his Tollywood debut as a bad boy in Rudramadevi. There’s plenty more in store for the rapper on screen in 2016 with a promising negative protagonist in the Naga Chaitanya-starrer Saahasam Swaasaga Saagipo. With New Year’s Eve round the corner Baba is gearing up for his performances on December 19 and 21 in the city.
He has reigned the Tollywood music too. He says Anup Ruben is the best among the Telugu music composers in Tollywood currently. “He needs to be acknowledged the most. Others are clichéd and are repeating the music with some additions and deletions.”
“I enjoy singing in all the languages but there were a few instances, where I found it tough to sing Tamil and Malayalam songs. They have ‘ala’ in their pronunciation and I get the Punjabi accent there. I sometimes give up and say I can’t, but the producers plead me to do. They say, ‘It’s okay. Your style of singing, not your pronunciation, is what matters to the audience.’ In an exclusive interview to Hyderabad Express, Baba says that he enjoys the attention that is showered upon him by people from both Telugu states. “I get invitations from remote villages of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh where rich people call me to perform at their wedding. They enjoy my performance and I even sing in Punjabi and Hindi. It feels good,” he smiles.
He resurrected his career in 2008 when he lent his voice to the title tracks of Power Star Pawan Kalyan’s blockbusters Jalsa and later Gabbar Singh. Baba reveals that he is currently in talks to croon for the title track of Gabbar Singh 2’ but. “Once in Pune, when Pawan Kalyan and I were sitting, people came running to me for autographs and photographs. I felt awkward because a star is being ignored. So I introduced Pawan to the crowd. But the actor said that I am a star only in my State and you are a star everywhere.” Not just singing, offers are flowing in for Baba for acting too from Tollywood after his notable stint in Rudramadevi. He plays a corrupt police officer in Gautham Menon’s Saahasam Swaasaga Saagipo with Naga Chaintanya as the lead. The bilingual has Simbu playing the protagonist in the Tamil version. “Chaitanya is sweet and well-mannered, but Simbu throws starry tantrums,” the rapper smirks.
Baba’s business venture--Baba Sehgal Academy of Hip-Hop--which opened a couple of years ago is going great guns. He will be releasing his next video this Friday titled ‘Car Mein Disco’ but chose to remain all hush hush about it.